OpenAI added search and shopping to ChatGPT: how it works

OpenAI добавила в ChatGPT поиск и покупки: как это работает
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ChatGPT is now not only a smart conversationalist but also a convenient search engine. OpenAI has updated its functionality so that now you can find almost anything in the chat: cosmetics, clothes, electronics, household goods — in short, any popular categories. The new feature allows users to search for products using natural language.

For example, it’s enough to write: “Recommend running shoes for me,” — and the bot will immediately provide a selection with photos, prices, short descriptions, reviews, and active links to stores. Everything looks like a familiar product card: images, prices, and a “Buy now” button. By the way, the results are not advertisements, and OpenAI does not profit from them. The data for search comes from open structured sources — websites, marketplaces, and various information platforms. Thanks to this, even stores that are not technically connected to the system can have their products displayed in search results.

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In addition to shopping, the update has also affected search itself: there are now suggestions while typing a query, improved autocomplete, trending topics of the day, more convenient citation of sources, and even the ability to search via WhatsApp. All this makes interaction with ChatGPT even faster and more intuitive. The feature is already available to almost everyone — both free users and Plus or Pro subscribers. Even registration is not required. However, in the EU and some European countries, this feature is temporarily unavailable due to regulatory restrictions.

Interestingly, the system doesn’t operate on classical algorithms: ChatGPT doesn’t just search by keywords — it tries to understand your preferences. For instance, if you previously chose clothes of a certain brand or color, the bot will remember and take that into account in future recommendations.

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Overall, OpenAI is gradually transforming ChatGPT from a simple conversational assistant into a full-fledged tool for search, shopping, and daily tasks. And although it’s too early to talk about competing with major search engines, the direction of development looks very promising. The publication was interesting and useful — want more fresh news about internet marketing and SEO? Subscribe to the SEO and digital market news category to get notifications about new posts. And if you’re engaged in website optimization and promotion and need high-quality backlinks, find out where to place SEO links — just follow the link and get a ready-made database of verified platforms for sponsored publications.

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